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3 Tips to Writing a Romance Series by Mel Curtis
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I’d written one series before starting The Hollywood
Rules. I’m deep into the series
now (3 books, 2 novellas) and recently went back and re-read Amber Rules, which
launched the romantic comedy series.
Today I’m sharing some of the things I did, both good and
rule-breaking. Here’s what I
learned by looking back:
1. The
hero and heroine don’t need to meet on page 1. This is a risk and I wouldn’t
recommend doing it if you don’t have a readership already. Most of my books have some kind of
first meet in Chapter One, usually on page 1. I dealt with a later meet in
Amber Rules by writing short chapters and seeding the existence of each other
via the series’ gossip column. The opening chapters are fast paced, which
helps, too.
2. Details
can bog the reader down. My series
is based on the top-secret life coaching principles of Dooley Rule. Too bad Dooley took his secrets to the
grave…or did he? Yeah, my characters are working to unlock those secrets. If I
were to rewrite some of the unlocking of his secrets, I might have streamlined
the details. But I was figuring it out as I was writing, too.
3. How
many characters are too many? My Hollywood Rules series is a little like Kevin
Bacon’s 6 Degrees of Separation (more like 3 degrees). Everyone knows everyone, and if they
don’t, they know them from the gossip column. If I was writing Amber Rules
today, I probably wouldn’t seed in so many characters (40+) that I needed down
the line. However, one couple I’d keep would be Jack and Viv Gordon, who are
featured in my latest release, Breaking the Rules.
To say Jack and Vivian Gordon’s marriage has been rocky
would be an understatement. The Gordons have been on a roller coaster of love
and lust, but can’t seem to get on the same page at the same time. This power
couple needs a time-out to find their happily ever after. And life coach to Hollywood’s rich and
powerful, Cora Rule, has just the solution – have the couple sign their divorce
papers in a safe room…and lock them inside.
Excerpt:
Vivian Gordon had a problem.
A six-foot-two-inch hunk of a
problem.
Sex with Jack hadn’t solved the
problem. Marrying him hadn’t
solved the problem. Leaving him
hadn’t solved the problem.
The problem was that Viv loved her
husband, but Jack didn’t love her.
It wasn’t as if Jack was incapable
of love, as some of Hollywood moguls seemed to be. No, Jack had passion aplenty, but it was for the NBA team he
owned, the L.A. Flash, not for a woman.
Not for Viv.
Viv watched Jack swim his daily
laps with strong, commanding strokes.
Heaven forbid Jack didn’t get his laps in. If he didn’t, he was the biggest shit.
Her Gianvito Rossi black suede
lace up heels clicked slowly across the white marble tile as she approached the
patio doors in the house they’d once shared. Her cadence was one of a doomed prisoner being shown the
open door of the gas chamber.
This is the end.
And she’d chosen the execution
date.
Buy Links:
B&N: will go live 10/22
Special Offers
Readers of the Heroines with
Hearts blog can download a FREE copy of Amber Rules from Melinda’s web site
October 24-30, 2014. Three books
are currently out in the series. Link:
www.MelindaCurtis.net Username:
Amber_Rules Password: blogtour2014
Readers of the Heroines with Hearts blog will be
sent a FREE fun, sweet novella set within the Hollywood Rules world by signing
up for Melinda’s book release email newsletter. Link: http://www.melindacurtis.net/join-melinda-s-mailing-list
Bio/Info
Melinda Curtis is an award winning, USA Today recommended,
Amazon best selling author. She writes
independently published, steamy Hollywood Rules series as Mel Curtis. Jayne Ann
Krentz says of Blue Rules: “Sharp, sassy, modern
version of a screwball comedy from Hollywood's Golden Age except a lot hotter.”
Melinda also writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet and emotional romances
for the Harlequin Heartwarming line. Brenda Novak says: “Season of
Change has found a place on my keeper shelf”.
Website: www.MelindaCurtis.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelindaCurtisAuthor
Twitter: @MelCurtisAuthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/melcurtisauthor/
